Most Liked Instagram Posts Ever: The Top List and What They Have in Common

At the top of the lists sits the photo of Lionel Messi and teammates celebrating the 2022 World Cup win, at roughly 74 to 75 million likes in 2026 lists. The "world record egg" post sits second at around 60 million. Instagram publishes no official ranking, so every list is approximate and changes as likes accumulate.

Searches for "most liked Instagram post ever" expect one number, but the answer depends on the source and the date. This guide gives the top posts, a table with approximate counts, notes on why counts differ and what the leaders have in common. The figures come from public lists compiled in 2026, and we show approximate values and the year each post appeared.

Which post holds the record?

As of mid-2026 public lists name the post of Messi and teammates lifting the trophy after the World Cup final in Qatar. It overtook the earlier record in late 2022 and has gathered more than 70 million likes. Different trackers give slightly different values, from about 74 million to about 75 million, because they check at different times and treat hidden counts differently.

Top posts at a glance

Counts are approximate, taken from public 2026 lists, and may be out of date by the time you read them. If a figure matters for your work, check the post itself and note the date.

The story of the egg

In January 2019 an anonymous account posted a plain brown egg on a white background and asked people to help it beat the record at the time, a photo of a newborn from a famous reality-TV family. Within days the egg passed 30 million likes and became the most liked post. It later turned out to be part of a campaign about mental health, with a message aimed at young people. For a few years it kept the top spot, until the World Cup photo took over.

Why the counts differ between lists

• Different dates. Likes keep rising on older posts, though slowly.
• Hidden or restricted counts. Some trackers estimate when the number is hidden.
• Removed likes. Instagram removes fake or deleted accounts, and totals can drop.
• Method. Some lists use the number on the post, others a saved snapshot.
• Scope. Some rank only photos, others include videos and carousels.

If you need an exact figure for a report, state the source and the date next to the number.

What the top posts have in common

Looking across the list, a few patterns repeat:

• Huge existing audiences. Many belong to global athletes or entertainers, whose accounts start with tens or hundreds of millions of followers.
• A moment people share. A celebration, a record or a surprise that many want to mark.
• A simple image. One clear photo, readable at thumbnail size.
• A single message. No long caption is needed.
• An outside event. A tournament or a campaign gives the post a reason to travel.

The egg is the exception that proves the rule: a deliberately simple image and a clear challenge allowed a new account to collect likes from people who wanted to take part.

Can a normal account learn from this?

Not the scale, but some of the principles:

• Use a clear, simple visual.
• Tie a post to a moment your audience cares about.
• Give people a reason to join in, such as a challenge or a question.
• Keep the message short.
• Post when your audience is online.

For the privacy side of likes, our look at private Instagram accounts shows what strangers can and can't see, and the guide to anonymous story viewing covers a related question.

What is a normal like count?

For most accounts, a post gets likes from a small fraction of followers. A typical like rate is a few percent of reach, and it varies by niche. Instead of chasing a record, compare each post with your own median. A post that earns twice your median is a strong result for your account, whatever the global list says.

How likes get counted

A like is a single tap on a post by one account. Instagram counts each account once per post, and a person who taps again removes the like. Accounts that are removed for violating the rules, deleted or deactivated can take their likes with them, so totals on very old posts can shift down as well as up. Hidden like counts, a setting the owner can choose, hide the number from viewers but not from the owner. That is one reason rankings rely on snapshots, not on a live official figure.

Records by type of post

Besides the all-time photo list, people ask about categories. For brand posts, the leaders tend to be global companies or campaigns with a strong hook. For videos, the biggest numbers come from Reels with famous people or surprising moments, but Reels are counted by plays more often than by likes. For carousels, strong results come from posts with a clear sequence, such as a story told in ten slides. The point is that records happen at the intersection of a huge audience and a post that gives people something to do: congratulate, laugh, share.

What small accounts can measure instead

A record is a poor target for an ordinary account. More useful targets are your own best post, your median like rate and the share of likes that come from people who do not follow you. Save your top five posts every quarter and note what they share: the opening line, the format, the time of day. Repeat the pattern with new topics and see whether the median rises. That is the version of a record that matters for a normal profile.

Do likes mean money?

Not directly. Instagram does not pay per like. Brands look at reach, interaction and the fit of your audience. A post with many likes can help attract partners, but only if the audience is real and relevant.

A short history of the record

The record has changed hands only a few times in the app's history. Early records belonged to celebrity photos with a few million likes. Later, large entertainers' posts passed ten and twenty million. In 2019 the egg became the first non-celebrity record holder and set a new bar at tens of millions. In late 2022 the football photo passed it. Each change came with a world event or a campaign, which shows how much a record depends on the outside world and not only on the account that posts.

Checklist: using a "most liked" list

• [ ] Write down the date of the list.
• [ ] Mention the source when you quote a figure.
• [ ] Use rounded numbers.
• [ ] Check the post if the number matters.
• [ ] Do not trust sites that sell "record-breaking likes".

How it works at Likemania

Everyone starts a post at zero. Likemania has operated since 2012, and its Instagram catalog has likes in two tiers, regular and real, and also auto likes for upcoming posts. An order needs only the web address of a public post and no login. A price shows up in the calculator before you pay, and each service card says how losses are replaced. Added likes will not take a post anywhere near the lists above. They change the counter on your own post, nothing else. See the page on real Instagram likes or the services list.

FAQ

Which Instagram post has the most likes today?

Public lists in 2026 put Messi's World Cup celebration photo first, at roughly 74 to 75 million likes.

What is the most liked picture that is not a celebrity?

The "world record egg" is the best-known example, at around 60 million likes.

How high is the record count?

About 74 to 75 million in 2026 lists, with small differences between sources.

Is there an official ranking?

No. Lists are compiled by third parties and change over time.

Conclusion

The most liked Instagram post is Messi's 2022 World Cup celebration photo, followed by the world record egg. Treat every list as a snapshot, look for the date and source, and measure your own posts against your own median, not against a record.